Halftime means snack time

I must admit, I love watching football games. We traditionally watch the Super Bowl at our friends’ home while sitting in the same comfortable recliners, and with the same results … my favorite team loses!

The cheering, jeering and excitement can create a hearty appetite, and no one wants to miss a minute of the game while grabbing something to eat. These super snacks can be prepared ahead of time and will satisfy the biggest football fans without taking the host or hostess away from the game.

While I might not pick a winning team, I’m always voted MVC (Most Valuable Chef) when halftime rolls around and these snacks are served!

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Mix the shredded cheese, peppers, mayonnaise, mustard and pepper in a medium bowl.

Stack 4 slices of bread on a cutting board. Using a knife or 2 1/2-inch round cutter, trim the bread into football shapes, save the trimmings for another use. Continue with the remaining bread.

Lay the bread slices on a rimmed baking sheet and brush with the melted butter. Place in oven and toast until crisp, about 5 minutes.

Spread about 1 tablespoon of the pepper cheese mixture on the bread. Top with some pastrami, a pickle and another slice of bread.

To make the laces, cut the cheese into 16 long strips. Cut each strip into 1 long and 3 short pieces. Lay the long strip lengthwise on the sandwich, and then the 3 short strips crosswise to make the laces. Repeat with all the strips. Put the sandwiches back into the oven for 2 minutes to set the cheese laces.

Secure the sandwiches with a toothpick and serve. Makes 16 mini sandwiches.

Chili Cornbread Bake
You can prepare this delicious combination of chili and cornbread ahead of time and keep it warm in the oven until you’re ready to serve. Feel free to use a good-quality, packaged cornbread mix if you’re pressed for time, and add in the serrano chiles as directed to the packaged mix.

Transfer skillet to oven. Bake 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted into topping comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes. Garnish with cilantro. Serves 6-8.Angela Shelf Medearis is an award-winning children’s author, culinary historian and the author of seven cookbooks. Her new cookbook is “The Kitchen Diva’s Diabetic Cookbook.” Her website is www.divapro.com. To see how-to videos, recipes and much, much more, Like Angela Shelf Medearis, The Kitchen Diva! on Facebook. Recipes may not be reprinted without permission from Angela Shelf Medearis.